Dutch seize shipment of banned antibiotics

The Intelligence and Inspection Service of the Dutch Food Safety Authority (NVWA-IOD) has siezed 1000 kg of the illegal antibiotic virginiamycin.

Detectives of NVWA found the illegal shipment when searching a transhipment building in North Brabant province.

They found the shipment after Belgian authorities informed NVWA of the possibility of a large volume of illegal antibiotics being put up for sale in The Netherlands.

First information showed that the antibiotics were to be used as growth promoters in animal feed.

However, it is also possible that the virginiamycin was stored for further shipment outside the EU, which in essence is not an illegal activity, but must always be reported to the authorities.

Virginiamycin has been banned for use in animal feeds in the EU since 1998, because it is known that it can lead to bacterial resistance to the antibiotic. However, in some countries outside the EU it is still permitted.